Four Texas Americans killed including a former FBI agent,CEO ,lawyer in Melbourne plane crash

Four Texas Americans killed including a former FBI agent,CEO ,lawyer in Melbourne plane crash

NewYork , Feb.22 : Four Americans were among the five people killed when chartered plane crashed into the roof of a mall in Australia.
According to CNN, those killed included co-founder of a law firm, Russell Munsch, a retired CEO, Glenn Garland, and a former FBI agent, Greg Reynolds De Haven. All three of them were Texans.

The chartered plane crashed into an Australian mall, killing all five people on board — including four notable Texans on “trip of a lifetime.”

The men were among four Americans killed shortly after the plane took off Tuesday from Melbourne’s Essendon Airport. Authorities have not identified the fourth passenger or the Australian pilot, who also died.

The deceased had shared their moment on social media, namely the CEO

Glenn Garland was having a great time golfing with friends on his trip to New Zealand and Australia — and his Facebook account showed it.

“Melbourne is one magnificent and amazing city,” Garland posted Monday, one day before the crash.

He shared his anxiety about flying in a small plane. Earlier in the trip, he said he was nervous about flying to Milford Sound in New Zealand.

“I only burned 5,000 calories of anxiety on the flight over,” Garland posted on February 8. “Beats a 5-hour one way bus ride.”

Another Texan, 70-year-old Greg Reynolds De Haven, was on the golfing trip to Australia, his sister Denelle Wicht told CNN. The retired FBI agent had served 30 years with the agency and was enjoying a vacation with his wife and friends.

“Golf was always his first love,” Wicht said. But she said his second wife, Rosemary, was the love of his life.

“He met this wonderful woman and took a chance again,” Wicht said. “She had given him the best years of his life. She was the best thing that could have ever happened to him.”

De Haven’s wife was shopping with friends in Melbourne and was not on the plane, Wicht said.De Haven also is survived by two sons, a daughter and six grandchildren.

Russell Munsch was a third Texan killed in the crash. He co-founded the law firm Munsch Hardt and had recently retired after a nearly 40-year career.

“It is with great sadness that we inform you our dear friend, colleague, and co-founder Russ Munsch passed away in a tragic plane crash in Melbourne, Australia,” the law firm said in a statement.

“Russ was enjoying retirement, and doing what he loved almost more than practicing law — playing golf. Russ was a lawyer’s lawyer, one of the best of all time. … Russ was a loving husband, father and friend, and he will be dearly missed.”

John Washburn, a 67-year-old retired lawyer, was the fourth US citizen on the plane.

His family said he was looking forward to playing golf with his close friends Glenn, Greg and Russell.

“Our dad was an exceptional father and husbands, who was kind and generous and always put his family first,” family members said in a statement.

“Everyone who met him noted how happy and smart he was. He adored his wife and always supported his children.”

His family said their father lived in Spicewood, Texas, after retiring several years ago as an executive and general counsel at Sammons Enterprises in Dallas.

The cause of the crash is still being investigated. Earlier, some witnesses said the aircraft was flying precariously close to houses before the incident, which happened under cloudless skies in seemingly good conditions.

Aerial pictures from Seven Network showed damage to the roof and infrastructure of the shopping center.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull tweeted he was “deeply saddened” by the crash.

“Our hearts and prayers are with the victims and their families,” he said.